Assessment is a conversation: Extending AFL with twice-exceptional students
Tracks
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| Wednesday, April 8, 2026 |
| 11:50 AM - 12:35 PM |
| Kāpua (First Floor) |
Overview
(Years 3-8)
Details
This workshop explores how Assessment for Learning (AfL) can be extended to better support twice-exceptional students—those identified as gifted or high achieving with at least one additional neurodivergence such as ADHD, autism, or dyslexia. Drawing on qualitative research with six twice-exceptional students and their teachers across four Auckland primary schools, the workshop examines how these learners experience assessment in AfL classrooms. While practices such as success criteria and self-assessment aim to position students as partners in learning, findings suggest that twice-exceptional students often require deeper dialogue to be appropriately supported and challenged. Many are already engaged in intense internal self-assessment that remains invisible to teachers, sometimes leading to misalignment between students’ experiences and teachers’ interpretations. The workshop will share key insights from this research and explore implications for classroom practice.
Speaker
Mrs Sarah Gemin
Master’s Student
Massey University
Assessment is a conversation: Extending AFL with twice-exceptional students
Biography
Sarah Gemin is in the midst of completing her Master’s degree in Educational and Developmental Psychology at Massey University. Alongside her studies, she has worked at Devonport Primary School for the past five years, supporting neurodivergent students one-to-one and gaining close insight into the relational dynamics of learning and assessment. Her research explores twice-exceptional learners and how Assessment for Learning can be extended to support autonomy, competence, and belonging through more responsive teacher–student dialogue.
